Current definitions of addiction classify it as harmful, morally wrong and even criminal. Although I understand seeing it as immoral, addiction is foremost a question of why do people become addicted to unhealthy substances and habits? I believe addiction is a complex social, emotional and physiological condition that is part of our global culture and our genetics. Politicians and doctors argue that drug users are criminals or are mentally ill. I disagree. Drug users are just reinforcing their evolutionary instincts. Humans have evolved with plants. Humans have adapted to and benefits from the various compounds within them. Specifically, the neurotoxic chemicals that evolved to deter consumption instead trigger the reward center in our brain. …show more content…
The betel nut they used is more scarce today because of its carcinogenic effects but has a similar effect as coffee. The most commonly known drugs used for spiritual purposes are psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, coca leaf (cocaine), tobacco, marijuana and even nutmeg. There are no good drugs and bad drugs it just depends on your cultural norms. The medicinal and spiritual effects of these narcotics benefited the people by enhancing their personal circumstances and ideological range. However, new social stigmas label most recreational drug use as an illicit crime and offense against the individual. On the other hand, western influence has caused alcohol and tobacco to be the drugs of the generation. The monetary guidance of private companies has influenced current laws and practices. Whereas, in the past drug use was a personal matter and was not restricted by law. However, dating back to the 7th century Islam banned all intoxicants under Sharia law. The first modern law that regulated drugs instead of just banning them set the tone for new Folkways for opium which made users deviant. It is easiest to document addiction on the basis of just drugs, but it is a much broader subject when considering topics such as gambling and obesity. The complexity of the subject makes it difficult …show more content…
Addiction is like water; meaning to much of a good thing is a bad thing. Water can hydrate you, but it can also drown you. Furthermore, a television show called, My Strange Addiction documents the unimaginable things people are obsessively compelled to do such as, eating household items and chemicals to extreme body
It is shown that people that tend to be involved in the use of drugs do so after making a voluntary choice (Heyman, 2009). The major use of drugs for social and non-medical preferences can lead to dependence and further addictions, it is a choice that people tend to make and from that it can lead to wanting it more, do it more with friends and further it becoming an addiction, that then effects the brain and body. When drugs are used in the wrong way they can cause many health issues but some people still tend to refer to drug addiction as a disease. Yes, There has been compelling evidence that addiction is a disease, however the result shown are weak and inconclusive. Results of different brain scans are shown by The National Institute of Drug Abuse (2017) are used to back up that addiction in fact is a disease, however the brain scans used in this research are not symbolic of any abnormal changes. The research by The National Institute of Drug Abuse do point out that changes in an individual’s brain is shown as evidence that addiction is a brain disease, however this argument can be shown as mistaken as changes in many human brains can be seen as not exclusive in addicts, although they can occur when a person is normal (Branch,2011). To top it off the information that is stated by the NIDA however doesn’t show evidence of the behaviour of addicts being involuntary or
In order to better understand addiction as a disease as opposed to a moral dilemma it first must be broken down. First you must look at the way in which the chemicals affect the brain. The first attempt at partaking in any mind altering substance can be looked at as a choice to the individual. However what happens after that first
The history of addiction goes back centuries, and unfortunately, there is still a long way to go for people to realize the effects of chemical substances do more harm than good. The difference between drug use and abuse relies heavily on a person’s dependence on the substance. The line between the differences is often very fine. Depending on other factors involved, such as morals, values, environment, and genetic predisposition, the line will most likely be crossed without regard to the consequences until treatment and recovery are the only options left. This is essay compares two theoretical explanations
For many years, individuals have battled substance abuse and addiction. My position comes from hearing about it, having seeing results from it, and reading about it, also developing my own thoughts about addiction. Weil and Rosen (1993) believe that a drug use (and addiction) results from humans longing for a sense of completeness and wholeness, and searching for satisfaction outside of themselves. McNeece and DiNitto (2012) says the reason why people continue to use drugs to the point of becoming a physically and/ or psychologically dependent on them are more complex, some have tried to explain this
Being addicted to a substance, thing or activity may be considered a problem to most people. This uncontrollable habit can completely flip people’s lives around. The sad part is that it’s so hard to break someone addicted to something because you cannot help someone that doesn’t want to be helped. Addiction is so powerful that people can’t see the wrong in it all the time. Addiction is a powerful brain disease and the healing process can be dangerous.
Is addiction a disease? This question has long been debated and not just among the medical community. It seems if you ask this question to any random people you can find varying opinions on the issue. Stanley Peele's wrote an article which argues that addiction is not a disease and the growing influence of addiction as a disease will create problems within our society. Stanley presents several arguments for his points, however these are not strong enough arguments for people to consider his point of view. Addiction is not a disease, because addiction is a choice, it's something a person does and not has, and it refers to a behavior. This essay will expand on Stanley Peele's arguments.
New evidence supports a connection to evolution. Linden proposes that the science that treatment of addictions is assisted with the use of medications and the psychological tools we have now, combined into a complete treatment program. The psychosocial model offers the difference in using and abusing drugs and alcohol. Accordingly, the psychological aspect of this model offers a perspective of an underlying mental disorder or imbalance that is at the core of the addiction problem. One avenue, from a treatment standpoint, is the absence of guilt for abusing drugs or alcohol. This, in no way, diminishes the need for retribution for the actions, such as thefts, during the abusing period. It does, in my opinion, make way for a more effect start on recovery. The removal of the failure feeling of using in the first place allows for an opening of the mind to alternate theories of reason. Is it possible there is a medical or biological reason? Sure, there is. However, the reasons will differ greatly from one person to
Addiction can be life threatening for the person and his family. Medically, addiction is a state of mind of the affected individual, which means a mental weakness that he or she is unable overcome. When addictions are left untreated, a person is likely to develop some severe to chronic behavioral changes.
When you hear the word ¨äddiction¨ the first thing that usually comes to mind is drugs and alcohol. These sadly are not the only types of addiction. Humans can come psychologically be obsessed or addicted” to many things like: media or technology, food, gambling, work, and even shopping or spending money. To better understand the word addiction and its meaning, the definition is the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. The word addiction came from a latin term meaning ënslaved by or bound to.
I believe drug addiction is a choice that evolves into a disease over time if the drug continues to be used regularly by a person. Drug addiction is a disease that a person makes a conscious decision to receive. Every single person that is addicted to drugs ultimately put themselves in the position that they are in because of their personal choices, however, I don’t believe a single person that is addicted to drugs woke up one morning and said, “I think I will get addicted drugs today”. They consciously chose to ignore the fact that drugs are addictive and hoped it would not happen to them. Gene Heyman argues that drug addiction is completely a choice made by an individual and that it is not at all a disease, which stands in contrast to a widely- accepted view by most health officials.
When most people think of addiction, they think of potheads and alcoholics. Although those are the most common types of addiction, there are also more types like sex addicts and gambling. In a sense, every person has a form of addiction. Weather to caffeine, or food, or cleaning, they are all small kinds of addiction. Like, if you do not have your daily dose of triple shot espresso in the morning, you will go insane, or whenever you feel an extreme emotion, you feel the urge to eat. There are some people who have extreme additions, that destroy families, demolish their former selves, and lose everything they ever had, just for a drink or a few hits.
The disease model of addiction and the moral model of addiction provide completely different explanation for the tendency of substance abuse. The disease model of addiction predates to 1784 when the American physician Benjamin Rush published a pamphlet which discussed alcoholism in medical terms and outlined treatments for what he considered was a “disease” (Atkins, 2014, p. 52). This model of addiction generally argues that it is not the individuals fault for their addiction to drugs and that not all, but some people, will inevitably become addicts in the future (p. 52). Inversely, the moral model of addiction does not view addiction as something that an individual “cannot control,” rather this model looks at addiction as something that an individual can certainly control but that the individual does not chose to because of “weak moral character” (p.52). Although both of these models have been, and still are, widely applied to other substances, the most common substance that it was used was for alcohol.
Addiction is a dependence on a substance in which the affected individual feels powerless to stop. Millions of Americans have addictions to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and even to behaviors such as compulsive gambling and shopping. Recent studies suggest that millions of Americans are addicted to food, as well.
Addiction is a choice and by classifying addiction as a disease, we are just enabling drug addicts to take no responsibility for their own actions in their lives. By labeling addiction as a medical condition it creates a false assumption that addicts have no control over their own behavior. People become addicts because of their behavior, not their brain chemistry. The disease concept is so popular because it gives people an easy way out; if they inherited their addiction they can’t be responsible for their own behavior. The disease model of addiction is flawed for a number of reasons; first, most people who take drugs do not become addicted, but may take drugs for a period of time, then stop when they choose to do so. Many well respected professors and scientist claim addiction is a scapegoat behavior that has been incorrectly identified as a physical or mental illness, an addict is only a victim of bad science and misguided policy.
Addiction is defined as an overuse of any substance that changes the natural chemical balance of the brain. It is generally agreed upon that addiction includes biological, psychological, and behavioral factors.